A portable information apparatus having a lightweight and compact design in consideration of portability often has limited functions. For example, a notebook personal computer (laptop PC) typically has limited functions in order to reduce the weight. Thus, there are limitations in increasing the size and performance of a cooling function of reducing heating from a processor or other devices mounted on a laptop PC and serving as an internal heating body of the laptop PC. In view of this, a cooling device detachably coupled to a laptop PC is utilized to support the cooling function of the laptop PC.
For example, a cooling device having a heat pipe thermally connected to a heating body of a laptop PC can be mounted on a mount surface and a cooling unit is utilize to transfer heat absorbed in the heat pipe to a radiator and to dissipate the heat with an air supply fan.
A laptop PC needs to have predetermined cooling performance even when used without being connected to a cooling device. Thus, a typical laptop PC generally includes within an apparatus chassis, a radiator fin for dissipating heat from a heating body outward and an air supply fan for supplying air to the radiator fin. When such a laptop PC is connected to a cooling device, although an air supply fan is provided in the laptop PC, another air supply fan is provided in a cooling device so that the cost and size of the entire device increase and the configuration of the device becomes complicated.
In addition, a cooling device as described above needs to have enhanced functions such as a computing function, a power supply function, and an extension function, as well as an enhanced cooling function for cooling a laptop PC. Thus, a cooling unit mounted on the cooling device preferably reduces the number and sizes of components thereof.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide an improved cooling device for cooling a portable information device such as a laptop PC.